Horsepower requirement for offset harrow

[Lineman North Florida]

If you go with the larger disk and it proves to be too large could you drop a blade off of each axle? If so and it would work fine I would go with the larger disk. I have a 10 foot wide tandem disk with smaller blades and can pull it fine with M6800 2 wheel drive decently. I can really handle it with my 5525 four wheel drive JD with about 74 or so draw bar hp. Not sure if my blades are 20 or 22 right off.

I could probably rig another spacer and take a disc off but this is an offset harrow with 24" notched disc blades and I think rather than start jabbo rigging on a new harrow I'll just go with the 8'9" disc that weighs 2800 lbs and that way I shouldn't max out my tractor either, I already have a Bush Hog model 1432 10' leveling harrow that I completely rebuilt last year with all new bearings and 22' disc blades, but I have no idea what it weighs.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Funny. Coming from the north we always figured the Brangus to be pretty soft!

Maybe they are in cold country but down here in the heat and insects they survive when a lot of the other breeds melt down. What kind of breeds do you all consider hearty in your part of the country?

 

[Creamer]

Maybe they are in cold country but down here in the heat and insects they survive when a lot of the other breeds melt down. What kind of breeds do you all consider hearty in your part of the country?

Understand totally - there is a lot of difference in cattle that can take the cold versus those that do well in heat. The English breeds have always done better up north due to longer hair and thicker hides. Herefords and Angus is what I have grown up with -well actually I grew up with all Herefords but my nephews that are on the farm now run mostly black Angus but there is some Hereford mixed. My one nephew still sells about 50 registered Hereford bulls a year. Together they run about 850 head of cows. Then I have a niece and her husband who run 700-800 head of cows up in NW South Dakota and their mix is about the same. So yeah we still go for the Herefords, Angus, and what they call Black Baldies which is a cross between the two.

Once again they are not hot weather cattle and wouldn't so well in Texas or Florida although I have heard there are a lot Herefords in Florida.

 

[mvwwld4u]

What brand disc are you looking at? I had an Athens 127 offset several years ago with 24" smooth blades on it. It was 8'6"-9' or so on 9-1/2" spacing. That's the best cutting disc I've ever pulled hands down, but it took some power and weight to pull it. I loved the smooth blades much better than any notched blades and have started converting blades on 2 other tandem disks I currently have and like them better on both those discs. If I had it to do over again, I'd have kept my Athens, they are great products. Pulled great with a 6410 JD MFWD w/loader and cast iron wheels on rack-n-pinion axles. Not sure if it had water in tires of not, but was in 2wd the whole time because of a faulty 4wd shift actuator. Get the furrow filler kit on the back gang of whatever you get. It's money well spent.

 

[Texasmark]

I apologize for the slight diversion in my previous answer when I injected comments about cattle breeds with my answer to the post.

Today it wasn't HP that determined the operation of my offset. It was being able to stay in the seat and not tear out the front end again. On that, first off I put 85w-140 in the front gear box. Then I had my bucket attached to my FEL and had it about half full of gravel for ballast. That kept the front wheels on the ground when running in B1. I bought this new plow that is the equivalent of a moldboard, but for clay soils. It has rotating discs which sweep off the goo rather than it stick to the blades like happens with a MB.

I had tried my offset on this soil but it just scratched the surface. I ran the Hay King renovator over the field and then the new "one way" I call it which made a mess of the field like the moldboard does in rolling sod over.

I then came back with the offset dragging a spike toothed harrow which worked real well in getting the field broken up and leveled to a reasonable degree. Tomorrow I'll try the rototiller I bought this year in some of the dryer areas of the field and see how it does. If it doesn't then out comes the disc harrow dragging the spike tooth behind it too and we'll be through with the field prep, other than one more pass just before planting (last of April, first of May) to upset the weed new arrivals.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

What brand disc are you looking at? I had an Athens 127 offset several years ago with 24" smooth blades on it. It was 8'6"-9' or so on 9-1/2" spacing. That's the best cutting disc I've ever pulled hands down, but it took some power and weight to pull it. I loved the smooth blades much better than any notched blades and have started converting blades on 2 other tandem disks I currently have and like them better on both those discs. If I had it to do over again, I'd have kept my Athens, they are great products. Pulled great with a 6410 JD MFWD w/loader and cast iron wheels on rack-n-pinion axles. Not sure if it had water in tires of not, but was in 2wd the whole time because of a faulty 4wd shift actuator. Get the furrow filler kit on the back gang of whatever you get. It's money well spent.

The harrow I am looking at is made by Industrias America and it weighs in at 2800 lbs and is 8'9" cut with 24" disc blades on 9" spacing. I can actually buy this harrow which is a pull type with hydraulic cylinder and hoses and tongue jack for about $800.00 less than I can buy the cheapest 7'6" 3 point hitch model , if I was farming for a living and cutting hundreds of acres a year I might be willing to spend 10k on an offset but I am only cutting about 20 acres 2 times a year, I haven't given up on finding one at an auction for a reasonable price, but if I don't that's my plan.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I apologize for the slight diversion in my previous answer when I injected comments about cattle breeds with my answer to the post.

Today it wasn't HP that determined the operation of my offset. It was being able to stay in the seat and not tear out the front end again. On that, first off I put 85w-140 in the front gear box. Then I had my bucket attached to my FEL and had it about half full of gravel for ballast. That kept the front wheels on the ground when running in B1. I bought this new plow that is the equivalent of a moldboard, but for clay soils. It has rotating discs which sweep off the goo rather than it stick to the blades like happens with a MB.

I had tried my offset on this soil but it just scratched the surface. I ran the Hay King renovator over the field and then the new "one way" I call it which made a mess of the field like the moldboard does in rolling sod over.

I then came back with the offset dragging a spike toothed harrow which worked real well in getting the field broken up and leveled to a reasonable degree. Tomorrow I'll try the rototiller I bought this year in some of the dryer areas of the field and see how it does. If it doesn't then out comes the disc harrow dragging the spike tooth behind it too and we'll be through with the field prep, other than one more pass just before planting (last of April, first of May) to upset the weed new arrivals.

You don't have to apologize I'm the one who asked you about the bull pictured in your avatar, there should really be a section for cattle talk on here but since there isn't we have to squeeze them in on these other threads, just good farming/farm life discussions. Charlie.

 

[Texasmark]

You don't have to apologize I'm the one who asked you about the bull pictured in your avatar, there should really be a section for cattle talk on here but since there isn't we have to squeeze them in on these other threads, just good farming/farm life discussions. Charlie.

Thanks Charlie.

 

[mvwwld4u]

Why apologize? If someone reading the thread don't want to read about cattle then they can skip those comments and go to the others, it's life, we farm for a living or hobby or partial living, and we like diverse conversations. Lol

 

[Texasmark]

Why apologize? If someone reading the thread don't want to read about cattle then they can skip those comments and go to the others, it's life, we farm for a living or hobby or partial living, and we like diverse conversations. Lol

Right on bro...................... Wink